Sunday, 28 May 2017

Though Christopher Eccleston is still refusing to return to the role, but Big Finish have pushed ahead with some Ninth Doctor stories anyway, in the style of their Companion Chronicles range and narrated by Nicholas Briggs. Briggs is a talented raconteur, for sure, but his impressions of Eccleston and Piper are far from a match for the real thing; in fact, his Ninth Doctor sounds frustratingly dopey.

As to the actual stories... the set starts strongly with The Bleeding Heart by Cavan Scott, which sees the Doctor travelling alone and teaming up with a reporter to investigate strange events at peace talks between two alien races. It’s a sad story that touches on the scars left on the Doctor by the Time War.

Next is Una McCormack’s The Window on the Moor, in which the Doctor and Rose visit a fairytale-esque world embroiled in a power struggle, and also meet Emily Brontë. It’s the weakest story, with the fairytale elements being gratingly twee and the historical figure underused.

The Other Side, by Scott Handcock, is set immediately after the TV episode Dalek and sees the Doctor try to return Adam Mitchell home, only for the three travellers to end up in a cinema ravaged by time distortion. The plot’s overly reminiscent of various stories we’ve seen before, but does develop the awkward relationship between Rose and Adam.

Finally, James Goss’ Retail Therapy is the best of the bunch. Jackie Tyler has become a success selling Glubby Glubs – not just a fad, these strange objects help people sleep well and feel healthy. Of course, the Doctor has questions. Though ostensibly a comedic story, this takes a turn for the emotional.